Events Scheduled to Help Tornado Victims

Events Scheduled to Help Tornado Victims

<br><p dir="LTR">The tornado in Moore, Oklahoma, destroyed more than lives and property.</p>
<p dir="LTR">And now, nearly two weeks after it ripped tore through the town, the outpouring of support is helping restore both the community and its will to continue.</p>
<p>Mechell Dixon joins us with more on how local residents are helping tornado victims rebuild their </p>

Shortly after the EF5 tornado tore through Moore on May 20th, Texomans started looking for ways to help.

But what's needed more than anything is financial aid.

And now, events are being organized to help.

In 39 minutes this tornado wiped out years of work, and 24 lives.

So to help residents rebuild Texomas are providing the American Red Cross with financial donations.

Officials say one man recently raised money through a garage sale.

"He thought he'd bring in about $40. He actually brought in $473 after his rummage sale," says Katrina Farmer, executive director of the American Red Cross.

Others are offering their hands and hearts, such as a cleanup effort by the Reverend Alice Hupp, of Park Place Christian Church.

She headed to New Orleans in 2005 to help in the cleanup efforts following Hurricane Katrina and learned this.

"When you are trying to get your life back in order again and you have all this debris in front of your house it's a reminder of the disaster and a simple scooping it up, putting it in a truck and rolling it away gives them a sense of hope," says Rev. Hupp.

So the Reverend Hupp is taking volunteers to remove debris in Moore.

So far, nearly a dozen people have sign up but she says what's needed the most is debris removal equipment.

Coordinators say a Bobcat or a Kuboto, like you see here, would be key because they're small and a lot easier to transport.

But church officials say any equipment, from dump trucks to front end loaders, will be gladly accepted.

Volunteers will leave Park Place Christian Church in Wichita Falls Sunday, June 9th 5 p.m. and head to to First Christian Church in Moore, Oklahoma.

Debris removal will start early the next morning and the group will return by 9 p.m.

To volunteer or donate debris removal equipment call Park Place Christian Church at 940-692-0165.

Several concerts are planned in Wichita Falls, with 100% of the proceeds going to the American Red Cross to help tornado victims.